Fire-door.



I T: E. COLLINS.

FIRE DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.24| 1911.

Patelited Aug. 10, 1915.

FKQ, I

THOMAS E. COLLINS, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FIRE-DOOR.

I To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS E. COLLINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Doors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to fire doorsand is particularly directed toward improving the type of fire door or-shutter which comprises a rotatable drum with a curtain'carried thereby. r

In my conception of this invention, I have been guided by the necessity for greater simplicity in fire doors and greater surety of operation. In attaining these advances in the art, the primary step taken by me has been in the direction of creating a simpler, and yetperfe'ctly efi'ective, connection between the shutter drum, the counter-balancing mechanism and the base support. In other words, my aim isto provide a counter-balancing mechanism which is coactively related to the drum and base support by a direct connection and without the necessity for any intermediate gearing. A second step toward improving the art, has taken'the form of providing an operating structure formed of a minimumnumber of parts and which parts are' practically completely inclosed within the shutter drum. The advantage of this will be apparent in the complete removal of the mechanism from the stress of weather and of excessive heat tending'to warp the parts. f I

More specifically, my invention takes the form of a shutter mounted upon a rotatable drum which is normally maintained against a gravity fall in counter-balanced condition. The maintenance of this counter-balanced condition, however, is effected by a clutch element carriedinternally by the drum and by a longitudinally shiftable shaft carrying complemental clutch disks which are adapted to clutch said shaft to said disk at opposite ends of the said longitudinal movement whereby the counter-balancing means is rendered effective upon-the drum at opposite-points of the longitudinal movement of the shaft, but is renderedineflective as a counter-balancing means during the period of such longitudinal movement. It will be understood, nevertheless, that the shaft is at all times subject to the stress of the counter-balancing means whereby it obtains a continual tendency to rotate or rather to re- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 10, 1915, Application filed August 24, 1911. Serial No. 645,754.

sist rotation in the' direction of rotation of the drum. More explicitly still, the shutter drum is provided with a longitudinally shifting clutch element coacting with a clutch element carried bysaid drum and ada'ptedto permit an initial gravityfall of the shutter and consequent rotation of the drum" during the course of such longitudinal movement, whereby the counter-balancing means" is over-balanced initially and the impetus gathered, together with the additional depending weight of the shutter, will carry the said shutter to lowered or closed position.

The preferred form of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts, and in which:

Figurel is a vertical longitudinal section of my assembledfiredoor, shown in set condition, Fig 2 is an end elevation of'my invention showing the'structure of mechanism for winding the counter-balance spring,

Fig.3 is-anend elevation taken from" the opposite'end of my improved fire door and showing the automatically operative lever utilized, and, Fig.4 isa detail of asection of the drum showing the clutch element preferably utilized'by me.

- The structure desirably comprises base elements l 'and-2 having journals 3 and 4: withreinforcing--collars 5 and'6 embracing the same and one of said journals being longitudinally adjustable-by means of a nut 7 threaded thereon at a point without the base element 2 and having an abutment collar 8 :m'ounted upon the opposite and inner end thereof, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained; Upon the outer surface of the base element 1, there is pivotally mounted a'pawl 9 and upon the inner face of the said element is rigidly disposed alpierced' lug 10. Upon the outer face of the base element '2, is provided a bifurcated braeketll between the legs of which is pivotally mounted a lever 12 having an aper-- I ture 13 near its free extremity- Mounted in the journals 3- and 4' and concentrically disposed with relation to each other are shafts 14 and '15. The shaft 14 tegrally formed upon their opposing surfaces. The collar 18 is extended to a point beyond the inner extremity of the shaft 14 and this extension is concentrically socketed as at 19 and, furthermore, embraced by a coil spring which is secured thereto, and which has its other end secured to the collar 8 upon the journal 4. The shaft 15 is loosely supported in the socket 19 and in its journal; and it is further provided near its outer end with an abutting collar 22 and at its extreme outer end with a vertical socket 23.

A rotatable drum 24 is mountedupon the journals 3 and 4 by means of the drum heads 25 and 26. Disposed within the said drum 24 near one end and rigidly secured thereto, is a disk member 27 having clutch teeth 28 and 29 respectively, disposed on either side thereof; and, inasmuch as this disk is mounted between the spaced collars 17 and 18 and forms a journal for the shaft 14, there is permitted a complemental clutch action.

The coil spring above mentioned, is designated 30 and is normally distended and of an accumulated torsional stress. Cords 31 and 32 are connected, respectively, to the lug 10 and lever 12 at 13 and are joined by a fusible link 33 which is of suflicient strength to maintain the lever 12 in the position shown and abutting the end of the shaft 15 to maintain it at its innermost position. Inasmuch as this shaft 15 is forced into the socket 19 and thereby moves the collar 18 as far to the left as possible, the

fusible link connection is the cause of the distended condition of the spring 30.

In operation, considering that the elements are in the position shown in Fig. 1, an excessive heat causesthe link 33 to weaken and break, and thereby separate the cord connections. When this happens, the distended spring immediately returns to normal condition and draws the shafts 14 and 15 and collars 17 and 18 to the right, forcing the lever 12 outwardly. Before this movement, the collar 18 to which is connected the torsion spring 30, was in counterbalancing relation with the drum24 through the medium of the teeth 21 and 29. At the end of this movement, the collar 17 has been drawn into position to cause itsteeth 20 to lock with the teeth 28; but, owing to the peculiar relative location of the teeth on the disk 27 and collars 17 and 18, the drum is capable of a single complete revolution before these teeth 20 and 28 effect an interlocking connection. Thus it will be seen that the longitudinal shifting of the shafts 14 and 15, although of short duration, is eflective to momentarily release the counter-balancing spring 30 from its control of thedisk 27 and consequently the drum 24. In this momentary release, the shutter mounted upon the drum 24 attains suflicient impetus and added weight to overbalance the effect of the spring 30 and gradually move to lowered position. When it is desired to again tension the counterbalance spring 30, it is only necessary to rotate the ratchet wheel 16 in an anti-clock-wise direction'and maintain it at any tension by the pawl 33. It will be understood that the purpose of the abutting collar 22 is to limit the outward movement of the shaft 15 to which it is rigidly secured.

hat I claim, is p 1. An automatic fire shutter comprising a drum, a shutter carried thereby, a counterbalance means, and a shaft longitudinally shiftable to successively release and clutch said drum to said counter-balance means. 2. An automatic fire shutter comprising a drum, a shutter carried thereby, a counterbalance means, a shaft longitudinally shiftable, and a double clutch to successively release and connect said drum to said means.

3. An automatic fire shutter comprising a drum, a shutter carried thereby, a counterbalance means, a shaft longitudinally shiftable, a two-face clutch unit connected to said drum, complemental clutches controlled by the shifting of said shaft and rendered effective to successively unclutch and clutch said means to said drum whereby said counter-balance means is rendered momentarily ineffective with relation to said drum.

- 4. An automatic fire-shutter comprising a drum, a shutter carried thereby, a counterbalance means, a clutch element upon said drum, and a complemental clutch element longitudinally shiftable from abnormal to normal position and connecting said counter-balance means to said drum in both positions, said shifting action causing a momentary ineifectiveness of said counter-balance means. I I I 5. A gravity operated fire shutter comprising a base, a drum, an element longitudinally shiftable from abnormal to normal position, and a counter-balance means between said base and said drum, said means being efiective in either of said positions but ineffective during its actual shifting operation.

6. A fire shutter comprising a drum, a shutter, counter-balance means for said shutter, a disk carried by said drum, clutch teeth on both faces of said drum, a shaft movable upon release by excessive heat from abnormal to normal position, a complemental clutch member on either side of said disk and carried by said shaft, one of said clutches being in co-active relation with one of the faces of said drum prior to release of said shaft, the other of said clutches being in coactive relation with the other face of said disk when in normal position, said counter-balance being permanently eifective to retard rotation of said s aft after its said clutch to counter-balance said drumshifting movement. and shutter, said longitudinal movement 7 A gravity fire shutter comprising a causing amomentary release of said counterdrum, a shutter, counter-balance means, a balance means. 5 shaft longitudinally movable to which said In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 5 counter-balance is permanently applied, a in presence of two Witnesses.

clutch Within and carried by said drum, THOMAS E. COLLINS. complemental clutch elements on said shaft Witnesses: and Within said drum and coacting at either C. H. BARRY,

10 end of said longitudinal movement with W. B. GERMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

